Direction of Korean General Education Course in Thai Universities: A Needs Analysis of Students at the Hat Yai Campus of Prince of Songkla University
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Abstract
This research aims to assess the needs of students who enroll in Korean Language courses as a part of their general education curriculum at the Hat Yai campus of Prince of Songkla University (HYC-PSU). This descriptive quantitative research is designed to answer three questions: 1) What is the purpose for students to enroll in Korean general education course? 2) What courses should be included within the Korean general education courses? and 3) At what level should the Basic Korean language course begin? 229 undergraduate students who completed the Basic Korean language course in HYC-PSU participated in this study by filling out a questionnaire developed using Google Forms. Data collection was analyzed using percentages, mean and standard deviation.
This research reveals that students enrolled in the Korean general education course for four main reasons: to understand Korean drama and songs, communicate effectively in Korean, travel to Korea and gain understanding of Korean culture. Therefore, the Korean general education course should be organized with the sequences of classes such as Basic Korean, Korean Conversation in Daily life and Contemporary Korean Culture emphasis given to learning Korean culture. Finally, students stressed that the Basic Korean course should start with lessons on Korean language characters. Findings from this needs analysis would allow educators to develop Korean general education course that would serve students’ interest and practical needs, while meeting requirements of the Curriculum Standard Criteria for Higher Education (CSCHE) in Thailand and the International Standard Curriculum for Korean Language (ISCKL).
Keywords: Korean General Education Course, Needs Analysis, The Hat Yai Campus of Prince of Songkla University (HYC-PSU), Thai Universities, International Standard Curriculum for Korean Language (ISCKL)
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